WENHAM, Mass. — The top seeded and 11th-ranked Gordon College men's soccer team scored a pair of goals in the first half, en route to a 3-0 win over Wentworth Institute of Technology in a quarterfinal round game of the 2013 Commonwealth Coast Conference Men's Soccer Tournament.
Gordon put the pressure on the Leopards early and earned four corner kicks within the first 90 seconds of play. Gordon had a chance to get on the board early, but Wentworth net minder Chase Richard (Smithfield, R.I.) made several outstanding saves to keep the score knotted at zero.
On Gordon's sixth corner kick of the half, the Scots went ahead, 1-0, when Kellen Kasiguran (Oakwood Village, Ohio) found the head of Andrew Vandervoort (Memphis, Tenn.) at the top of the six-yard box. Vandervoort rose above the Leopards' defenders and buried the header past a diving Richard.
Gordon's defense continued to push the ball up the field and allowed only three shots by the Leopards in the first half. Their effort created another chance in the 38th minute when a cleared ball gave Evan Crocker (Akron, Ohio) a chance to run onto the ball close to the sideline on the left side. Crocker turned inside and lofted a ball into the middle of the field. Daniel Perez (Bedford, Mass.) cut through the defense and volleyed the ball into the webbing for the Scots' second goal.
The score at halftime remained 2-0 despite the Scots outshooting their opponents by double digits.
Play in the second half became more even as the Leopards forced the Scots into several mistakes in the middle of the field. Wentworth's strong midfield play almost created two goals midway through the second half, with one of those shots hitting the post and out of play.
Gordon added to its lead in the 81st minute when Vandervoort added his conference-leading 17th goal of the season. The CCC Offensive Player of the Year was the recipient of a pass by Kasiguran inside the 18-yard box. Vandervoort shielded his defender from the ball and blasted home Gordon's third and final goal of the day.
Josh Spoonhour (Greencastle, Pa.) wrapped up his fifth shutout of the season with seven saves, six of which came in the second half. Richard played well for the Leopards, making 10 saves in the losing effort.
The Scots improved to 18-1 overall, while the Leopards end their 2013 season at 2-15-1. Gordon will await the results of a matchup between fourth-seeded Salve Regina and fifth-seeded Roger Williams for their semifinal game on Tuesday afternoon on The Quad.
